1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R. 3492, the extreme anti-trans bill recently passed by the House with a vote of 216-211. This legislation would institute a nationwide ban on gender-affirming care for minors by making it a felony to provide transgender youth with essential healthcare. This represents the most radical anti-trans legislation ever passed by a chamber of Congress, and it demands your firm opposition. Gender-affirming care is evidence-based medical treatment that saves lives. Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, support access to this care because it reduces rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among transgender youth. Criminalizing doctors for providing this care would force families to choose between their child's health and breaking the law. H.R. 3492 was only brought to a vote as part of a deal where Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene agreed to support the National Defense Authorization Act in exchange for a vote on her bill. This political bargaining should not determine healthcare policy that affects thousands of young people and their families. Even ultraconservative Representative Chip Roy expressed concerns about federal overreach, though he ultimately voted for the bill after his amendment to limit it to federally funded providers failed. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it requires 60 votes to pass. I am counting on you to stand firm against this legislation, just as Senate Democrats have previously held the line on much narrower restrictions. Additionally, I urge you to oppose the separate Medicaid ban proposed by Representative Dan Crenshaw that would force approximately 26 states to pay entirely for gender-affirming care treatments without federal cost-sharing. Transgender youth deserve access to medically necessary care. I ask that you publicly commit to voting against H.R. 3492 and any similar legislation that criminalizes healthcare for vulnerable young people.